A T R I B U T E t o V E N T E R D O N

prepared by Don R. Hender

VENTERDON: Within the boundries of the Parish of Stoke Climsland is a small neighborhood community known as Venterdon. Sometimes called a hamlet or village, and other times refered to as once but a single road with houses upon the sides of it. With today's transportation abilities, Venterdon would be just a 'side street community' of a city or town. And based upon today's transportaion 'time distance', it is stated to be but a 1 minute drive. That is at slower community roads speed. In actual distance, it is .2 miles or a 'nice little walk'.

I can think of one relative relationship I am familiar with. I live in Clearfield City, Davis County, Utah, USA. The urban street that I live on has but a numbered address today. It is '1000 South'. Some 70 years ago when the houses on this street were first built, a new road had to be made for the 'one street' housing development. The only redeeming fact was that the road did intersect and cross the main 'highway', so there was an east and a west to it. They called this one street housing development 'Cambell Heights'. The house I live in today is at the extreme end of east Cambell Heights and since there it had a 'T' intersection with another side road, my house number back then was number '1'. So it was #1 East Cambell Heights. There, you now have a working knowledge of the little commulity 'village of Venterdon'.

The provided, little changed, modern map of the area shows where Venterdon began, the circled dot. And it ended about where the Methodist Church is shown. In fact across the street from that Methodist Chapel is an 18th century renovated house with an orchard and gardens and additional spaces and 'houses' that would pretty well match the discription of my 3rd Great Grandfather's dwelling. In his will he states, a 'Tenement called Week's Tenement consisting of the dwelling houses Pigs horses gardens and Orchard situate at Venterdon in the Said parish of Stokeclimsland'. I suppose that if that were his dwelling place, it would be at the west end of the street also at that time, for there is just open fields or closes after that.

The 1841 Census of Venterdon in Stoke Climsland

The only census that my 3rd great grandfather and his wife made was the 1841 census. From that census record I have just selected out that which did pertain to 'Venterdon', that is all who were recorded as living upon the Venterdon road at the time. There is a goodly little community of people there. And about that time is when the cooper and tin mines and stone quaries would still have been in full swing in the area. I don't suspect that many of the inhabitants had very sizable dwelling houses due to the nature of their employment. And sure enough, the census record for 'Venterdon' ends with my grandfather William and his wife Elizabeth living at the very end of the Venterdon recordings. Note the number of 'none responding units', perhaps some are at work, as even the children did go to and accompany their parents at work in the mines and quaries. Or it just might be because the available 'mining housing' was not filled at the time, and those residence were vacant. While the listed occupations are among those which support such a community, the number of 'miners', 'engineers', stone cutters and the like are of the community's largest employment industries, the mines and the quaries.


Cornwall Census—1841

Enumeration District 2 

Civil Parish of Stoke Climsland

Book 10 Folio 13 Page 1
. . .
Venterdon,1,Grace Green,,75,Charwoman,Not in county,
         ,,Richard Serpell,35,,Ag. Lab.,In county,
Book 10 Folio 17 Page 9
         ,,Harriott Serpell,,30,,In county,
         ,,William Serpell,10,,,In county,
         ,,Elizabeth Serpell,,3,,In county,
         ,,Grace Gray,,65,Charwoman,In county,
Venterdon,1,William Werring,35,,Ag. Lab.,In county,
         ,,Mary Werring,,40,,In county,
         ,,Elizabeth Werring,,4,,In county,
         ,,Fanny Werring,,2,,In county,
         ,,Elizabeth Giles,,65,Pauper (Crossed Out),In county,
Venterdon,1,John Budge,25,,Farmer,In county,
         ,,Elizabeth Budge,,20,,In county,
         ,,Catherine Budge,,20,,In county,
         ,,Thomas Spear,20,,Male Servant,In county,
         ,,John Dawe,15,,Male Servant,In county,
         ,,William Westlake,15,,Male Servant,In county,
         ,,John Smale,15,,Male Servant,In county,
         ,,Jane Jasper,,20,Female Servant,In county,
Venterdon,1,John Hawton,45,,Shoemaker,In county,
         ,,Rebecca Hawton,,40,,In county,
         ,,Rebecca Hawton,,11,,In county,
         ,,Mary Hawton,,9,,In county,
         ,,John Hawton,6,,,In county,
         ,,Betty Hawton,,2,,In county,
         ,,William Coad,65,,Army Pension,In county,
Venterdon,1,William Searle,70,,Carpenter,In county,
Book 10 Folio 18 Page 10
         ,,Mary Searle,,65,,In county,
         ,,Fanny Searle,,30,,In county,
         ,,Richard Searle,3,,,In county,
Venterdon,u,,,,,,
Venterdon,1,William Rundle,25,,Carpenter,Not in county,
         ,,Harriott Rundle,,20,,In county,
         ,,Mary Rundle,,1,,In county,
Venterdon,1,John Green,35,,Stone Cutter,In county,
         ,,Jane Green,,40,,In county,
         ,,Emily Green,,15,,In county,
         ,,John Green,9,,,Not in county,
         ,,William Green,6,,,In county,
         ,,Louise Green,,4m,,In county,
Venterdon,1,William Allen,25,,Engineer,In county,
         ,,Ann Allen,,20,,In county,
         ,,Elizabeth Allen,,3,,In county,
         ,,Jane Allen,,1,,In county,
         ,,Richard Allen,20,,Miner (Copper),In county,
Venterdon,1,Edward Bowden,60,,Ag. Lab.,In county,
         ,,Elizabeth Bowden,,55,,In county,
         ,,Mary Bowden,,20,,In county,
         ,,Harriott Bowden,,15,,In county,
Venterdon,u,,,,,,
Venterdon,u,,,,,,
Venterdon,1,Edward Strike,30,,Ag. Lab.,In county,
         ,,Grace Strike,,25,,In county,
         ,,Elizabeth Strike,,6,,In county,
         ,,Maria Strike,,1,,In county,
Book 10 Folio 18 Page 11
Venterdon,1,John Smale,45,,Ag. Lab.,In county,
         ,,Cattern Smale,,40,,In county,
         ,,Hannah Smale,,6,,In county,
         ,,Fanny Smale,,1,,In county,
Venterdon,1,William Kite,30,,Miner (Copper),In county,
         ,,Mary Kite,,25,,In county,
         ,,John Kite,5,,,In county,
         ,,William Kite,3,,,In county,
         ,,Mary Kite,,9m,,In county,
Venterdon,1,Mary Gorrell,,45,Charwoman,In county,
         ,,Samuel Gorrell,11,,,In county,
         ,,Richard Gorrell,9,,,In county,
Venterdon,1,William Hicks,40,,Shoemaker,In county,
         ,,Margaret Hicks,,40,,In county,
         ,,Robert Hicks,14,,,In county,
         ,,Mary Hicks,,12,,In county,
         ,,William Hicks,8,,,In county,
         ,,Edward Hicks,7,,,In county,
         ,,John Hicks,5,,,In county,
         ,,Hannah Hicks,,2,,In county,
Venterdon,1,Christopher Spear,25,,Bucher,In county,
         ,,Grace Spear,,25,,In county,
         ,,John Spear,5,,,In county,
         ,,Joseph Allen,15,,Male Servant,In county,
Venterdon,1,Isaac Hawton,30,,Carpenter,In county,
Book 10 Folio 19 Page 12
         ,,Elizabeth Hawton,,30,,In county,
         ,,Thirza Hawton,,6,,In county,
         ,,Mehala Hawton,,4,,In county,
         ,,Isaac Hawton,8m,,,In county,
         ,,George Grigg,20,,Apprentice,In county,
         ,,Robert Richards,15,,Apprentice,Not in county,
Venterdon,b,,,,,,
Venterdon,1,John Pellew,25,,Stonemason,In county,
         ,,Jane Pellew,,30,,In county,
         ,,George Pellew,3,,,In county,
         ,,Edward Pellew,1,,,In county,
         ,,Emma Gunnor,,8,Female Servant,In county,
Venterdon,1,John Rowe,70,,Ag. Lab.,In county,
         ,,Jane Rowe,,70,,In county,
         ,,Betty Rowe,,30,,In county,
Venterdon,1,William Horrell,25,,Shoemaker,In county,
         ,,William Symons,15,,Shoemaker Apprentice,In county,
Venterdon,1,James Hawton,75,,Carpenter,In county,
         ,,Mary Hawton,,70,,In county,
         ,,Robert Serpell,40,,Miner (Copper),In county,
         ,,Dyonisia Serpell,,35,,In county,
         ,,Samuel Serpell,14,,App. To Shoemaker,In county,
         ,,Elizabeth Serpell,,8,,In county,
Venterdon,1,John Abbott,45,,Ag. Lab.,In county,
         ,,Elizabeth Abbott,,35,,In county,
         ,,Mary Abbott,,11,,In county,
Book 10 Folio 19 Page 13
         ,,William Abbott,10,,,In county,
         ,,Jane Abbott,,7,,In county,
         ,,Ann Abbott,,3,,In county,
         ,,John Abbott,7m,,,In county,
Venterdon,1,John Hawton,30,,Ag. Lab.,In county,
         ,,Rebecca Hawton,,25,,In county,
         ,,John Hawton,4,,,In county,
         ,,Thomas Hawton,3,,,In county,
         ,,William Hawton,1,,,In county,
Venterdon,1,Nicholas Doidge,60,,Ag. Lab.,Not in county,
         ,,Elizabeth Doidge,,60,,In county,
         ,,Mary Doidge,,21,,In county,
         ,,Mary Walkom,,80,Pauper (Crossed Out),In county,
Venterdon,1,William Pearce,30,,Miner (Copper),Not in county,
         ,,Susanna Pearce,,30,,In county,
         ,,George Pearce,7,,,In county,
         ,,Elizabeth Pearce,,6,,In county,
         ,,Margaret Pearce,,4,,In county,
         ,,Henry Pearce,3,,,In county,
         ,,Elizabeth Scawn,,65,Pauper (Crossed Out),In county,
Venterdon,1,Joseph Budge,50,,Army Pension,In county,
         ,,Mary Budge,,50,,In county,
         ,,John Gilbert,60,,Army Pension,In county,
Venterdon,1,John Hart,25,,Taylor,In county,
         ,,Elizabeth Hart,,20,,In county,
Book 10 Folio 20 Page 14
         ,,Richard Hart,5m,,,In county,
         ,,William Bray,25,,Engineer,In county,
         ,,Elizabeth Bray,,20,,In county,
         ,,Nanny Bray,,10,,In county,
Venterdon,b,,,,,,
Venterdon,1,William Hender,50,,Watchmaker,In county,
         ,,Elizabeth Hender,,50,,In county,

This would be a good time to take notice that the 1841 Census employeed a form of rounding the elder people's ages. That is, 15/20 and above. All such ages are ends with a '0' or a '5'. The young children's ages seem to be reported well enough, but there aren't any adults (or a scare few) with a number 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, or 9 at the end of their age. So the census takers are rounding off the adult's ages and thus those ages can not be looked to as being as accurate an indicator of their true age. They round the ages down to the next lower 5 year amount. Age 50 actually means an age of 50-54.

Another item I'd like to cover here is the false genealogy trap that some have fallen into. 'Quick and dirty' genealogy collectors have been prone to get the Hender family genealogy incorrect for whatever reason. There are an abundant number of 'William Hender' familes in the area from Altarnun to and through Launceston. Those who have not researched these people out carefully, referring to all the census, will and parish records (etc.) have just flat out gotten it wrong. As I have already stated, William Hender, the clock and watchmaker of Callington and Stoke Climsland and whose will lists his residence to be at Venterdon as seen in the 1841 census above has been confussed and confounded by those who would mix his family with his cousin's family and the William Hender of Launceston. That William Hender the Watchmaker IS NOT the ancestor of the children of the William Hender of Lanceston is readily ascertainable from Will Hender's will. And that he IS NOT the same Willaim Hender as that of his cousins who are the William Hender surgeon and his son William Bury Hender MD can be ascertained by a review of the 1841 Census record of Callington, where that William Hender surgeon and his son are so listed living together there as seen below.



Cornwall Census—1841

Enumeration District 2
 
Borough & Parish of Callington

Book 1 Folio 23 Page 1

         . . .

Book 1 Folio 29 Page 13
    ,,Grace Veals,,60,Female Servant,Not in county,
Lower Street,1,William Hender,55,,Surgeon,In county,
            ,,Elizabeth Hender,,60,,Not in county,
            ,,William Hender,30,,Physician,In county,
            ,,Annabella Hender,,25,,In county,
            ,,William Moon,20,,Assistant Surgeon,In county,
            ,,Eliza Wright,,19,Female Servant,In county,
            ,,William Rickard,20,,Male Servant,In county,

Now I have documented such 'errors' as has been made, but not all for they are many, and have also documented the actual truth of the correct genealogy of these people on a number of web pages.

William Bury Hender

On another page both the William Hender clockmaker and his cousins the surgeon and physician is deligniated and displayed as to just who their joint ancesters are, John Hender and wife Grace Luskey, etc.

On a third web page I have set out such 'cousin family' as who does descend from John Hender and Grace Luskey.

And on a fourth web page I have set out my own Hender ancestry which details the proper, true and accurate family genealogy of my ancestors which includes William Hender clockmaker, his family and back through the family of John Hender and Grace Luskey and beyond.

These pages have further links which also further clarify and identify the various William Hender families and just who their connected relative are including the William Hender of Launceston.

Now next, getting back to Venterdon by way of my 3rd great grandfather and his wife, I will next look to the identifying of such and their burials which though said to be at Stokeclimsland's burial registry, I must think that they were both buried at a local community graveyard at Venterdon for they are not yet found in the Stoke Climsland church's cemetary. I have William Hender's death certified death certificate and he was age 60, dying on the 5th of August and then buried as the registry reports on the 8th of August 1848. This calculates to be being born about 1788. His will states that he is of Altarnun and all additional evidences work together to make him the son of Thomas Hender and Sarah Adams of Altarnun. As for Elizabeth [Rowe] Hender, we can only presume that her age of 57 on 14 February 1850 does give her a baptism of about 1792-1793. Upon her marriage record at Callington, 1811, she is stated to have been of Callington. That could mean that she was either born there or that she had merely come to be a resident of Callington. On that same marriage record, William Hender is referred to as a soujourner, meaning he was not of Callington, which he was not, being of Altarnun. As yet there is no Callington christening of Elizabeth Rowe found in Callington of the required relavent date range. There is one baptism of an Elizabeth Rowe of Altarnun that does fit, but there is no further evidence to confirm that this is her either other than a near parish record date fit. As yet, I am not satisfied that the parentage of Elizabeth Rowe has been found though other have claimed so and in error at times according to her age at her death. Both the burial record information for William Hender and his wife Elizabeth [Rowe] Hender is presented below.


From Callington Heritage:
Parish registry of Stoke Climsland:

Stokeclimsland	Burial	William	HENDER    08-Aug  1848	60   Venterdon
Stokeclimsland	Burial	Elizabeth HENDER  14-Feb  1850	57   Venterdon
Stokeclimsland	Burial	John HENDER       25-Mar  1852	 2   Holmbush

The John Hender age 2 of Holmbush is not William And Elizabeth's son but some child of another unknown Hender family in the Pariah of Stokeclimsland registration area resident at Holmbush. If any near relationship exists it is not currently known.

This is the Venterdon Methodist Chapel. It is almost directly across the road from that residence which fits the will discription of my 3rd great grandfather as referenced above. As can be seen in the front of the Chapel, there are a number of grave stones there. Whether my 3rd great grandfather and his wife could be buried there, I do not know. I would like to find out.

Regarding Venterdon and this Chapel, one report states: 'Venterdon lies within the parish of Stoke Climsland. A Wesleyan chapel was built in Venterdon in 1816 and was subsequently used for a Sunday School when a new chapel (pictured) was built behind it. The new chapel is still in use but the original has now been demolished. A former resident in the 1960s said that Venterdon consisted of a single line of cottages right through the village, some of which had to rely on water being fetched from the village tap. Children attended school at Stoke Climsland.'

It is reported that Stoke Climsland consists of 6 hamlets. I wonder if Venterdon is count as one of those six hamlets? Stocke Climsland itself stands only 3 miles north of Callington. A snipit map of the relationship between Callington, Stoke Climsland and Venterdon is presented to the right. The menandering river to the upper right would be the Tamar river and thus the Tamar River Valley. At the bottom left is Callington and to the top left is Stoke Climsland and Venterdon.

Now, I would suppose that if one would imagine, that one would see in this arial picture above that which might fit the discription of my 3rd Great Grandfather's will of his little tenement. I again state it here and consider if it could match the house and land about at the left bottom side of the road there in Venterdon today? 'Tenement called Week's Tenement consisting of the dwelling houses Pigs horses gardens and Ordchard situate at Venterdon.' I see a small orchard, gardens, 'dwelling houses' possibly for Pigs and perhaps horses, etc. This is that 'house' to the side of the road across from the Wesleyan Chapel that can also be made out from this arial view. I've also found one

At the east end of the Venterdon road, where it it had a 'T' intersect with another road, and across that street stand another complex of buildings, one of which seems to match an 'archealogical' description of a place site in/near Venterdon. 'A five sided horse engine house survives south of Venterdon. It is a rubble stone construction with brick lintels and one wall has large granite blocks built into it. The building has been converted into domestic use. The top runner stone for a cider mill is in the garden to what was a cow/pig house, now converted. The mill stone suggest that there was a site of a cider mill.'

Now, at the upper left side of the long running building on the right, you can see an 'attached' five sided structure to that building. It is a 'horse work house' where the horse would walk/pull around in a circle a mill machine that would supply the needed 'working' mill for the business of the building. Match this with the gound view picture of the same below.

This above is actually at the west [southwest] end of the Venterdon Hamlet road, and across the 'T' intersecting road there, to the south of Venterdon. And now, at the left, a modern day arial view of the whole of Venterdon today and how it now exists with some additional homes on Anvil Ct along the Dingle close side above [east of] the Venterdon Hamlet road. And perhaps along Trevendon road west of the Venterdon road. Hopefully this adds to ones working understanding of Venterdon with this visual imagery of it, even though it is as it is today.

Seen from the air, one can apreciate how the once one street community of houses could have been considered its own little 'hamlet-village' apart from the Stokeclimsland parish church, located less than a mile away. What is termed as a 'close', perhaps meaning an area 'closed' in by a stone wall, stream or some such divide; is a marked off open field area of irregualar shape and size. A part of the historical 'Dingle close' is where some newer houses seem to have expanded to the right off of the one street 'hamlet' of Venterdon.